Preparation of carbid of calcium.



UNITED STATES PATENT QEFicE;

MARC PIERRE EMMANUEL L ETANG, or PARIS, FRANCE.

,PREPARATION OF CARBiD or CALClUiVi.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,447, daiifit i w s9, 1900-.

Application filed December 13, 1897- Serial No. 661,714- (No specimensdTo all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARC PIERRE EMMAN- UEL LETANG, of Paris, Republic ofFrance,

have invented a Preparation of Carbid of Calcium, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention has reference to a preparation of carbid of calcium for thegeneration of acetylene; and it consists of certain improvements whichare fully set forth in the following specification. 4

This invention has been patented to me in Great Britain by LettersPatent No. 21,572, dated September 29, 1896; in France, dated May12,1896, No, 257,016; in Italy, dated September 1, 1896, N 0. 2,406; inGermany, dated September 27, 1896, No. 94,639, and in Belgium, datedDecember 18, 1895, No. 118,919.

This invention relates to a u'ewor improved preparation of carbid'ofcalcium destined to facilitate the use and the handling of this chemicalin all its tions and. more particularly for the manufacture of acetylenegas. ,1

' Common carbid of calcium has the defect of being very sensitive to theaction of dampness or of steam. Moreover, it leaves as a residuum alayer of damp and solid lime which cannot pass through the openings ofthe carbid -suppo rting receptacles of the acetylene-producingapparatus, These two defects result in keeping up the evolution of thegas long after the carbid ceases to be in direct contact with the water.

The object of my invention is to somepare the carbid that these defectsare overcome. In securing this end it will be necessary to provide thecalcic carbid with coat.- ing which shall render it less sensitive tomoisture and also have capacity of dissolving the limo produced in thegeneration of the acetylene gas due to the'decomposition which takesplace in the carbid. The coating may be designed to secure either orboth of these ends, as desired. The solvent of the lime should becapable of either readily dissolving it or at least rendering it liquidsuflicicnt-ly to promote its automatic elimination from the carbid bygravity.

practical applicaj he .so of which is to In carrying out my invention Iprefer to proceed in the following manner: I cover the pieces of carbidwith a protective coating or paint consisting chiefly of glucose, towhich I add petroleum and carbonate of lime in powder. The following isthe formula for the paint, which I prefer to use: glucose,fifty fiveparts; petroleum, five parts; carbonate of lime in powder, forty parts.This formula may be modified not only as regards the relativeproportions ofthe ingredients, but also as regards their nature. Thusinstead of glucose to dissolve the lime I may use any other chemicalcapable of dissolving, or liquefying lime-for instance, sugar in eithera crude orrefined state or the residuum from the manufacture of sugarand from'distilleries, lactose, honey,molassesgnannite, maltose,dextrine, and the like, as well as mixtures and combinations of withothei'substances. In short, all saccharii a substances, such assaccharate and sucrai On the other hand, for petroleum, preserve thecarbid from the action of steam or moisture, I may si-ostitn'teVaseline,- terebinth, heavy oils of tar, turpentine, varnish made withshellac, with caoutchouc, with rosin, with india-r'ubher or withgutta-percha, or the like. In short, every other chemical capable offormiug an impermeable coating. The powdered carbonate 'of lime, whichis of secondar importance in the mixture, may be replaced by chalk,talc, sulfur, If desired, it may be omitted. This coating may be appliedto the calcic carbid in any manner found most convenient. For instance,each piece may be dipped in or washed with the compound coating, orwhere the" pieces are small they may be joined or pressed sugartogether, or

fine sand, and the like. I

into a conglomerate mass with the compound coating or may be coatedafter being made into such conglomerate mass.

Instead of covering the ca-rbid with the paint or coating it may bemerely mixed (after petroleum has been added thereto) with i one or moreof the above substances which are capable of dissolving or liquefyingthe lime. These substances may be merely dissolved in water. I

' "sium salt. tion in its application to pure carbid of cal 4 outletawns-a providdy'theniivlril the-danger ceases the bidhssoon as formed;

soluble lime fr'ely flows through the meshes 51 oi' gil' i as e 1;co-storage it p1 Q5 my degree the genera My improvements are applicableto calcic carhid even where thesame contains other substances, such asmagnesium or a magne Hence I do notlimit the invencium,

It-is to ,glucose may be'niiied' with-other substan'ces,l

- f 'such as poiyde rc'tcrystallized sugarv or other to equivalentsubstance, aud em ployed with or "withontace'tic or other acid havingtheproperty of preventing the sugarbecoming'ln-ittle.

,- These-ingredients inavbe. used as follows:,

.;=sq\;smy, ms of g1uQQSQtwenty-four parts of 5,15 crystallizedsugar,one'part of acetic acid, and fiveparts of petroleum; To this maybeadd ed thePorvdered carbonate of lime, if necesmy 3 but this maybelomitted in View 'oflthe" use of themfi'fiall-ized sugar andacetic-acid; j

which; acts asra binder; Other proportions may he employed if desired.

= Where it is desired s mply to secure the sol-- ubility otrthe lime,-the'petrolenm or its equivalent is-omittedr; i M hile'I prefer to makethe coating complet'e as-a mixture and apply all atonce;'it-isnesrrthelssevident that the carbid may be dipped in thepetroleum first and subsequently coated with the solventforthelimeit fimu H ner itrmay jbe shlpped withont danger of decoiriposition'-fi'omImoistu or of the generationrof dangerou-s-acetylene gas in the ship-,

3-5: acetylene-' gas generating machines itpreventssgontin'ued"=generatiou"of gas after the gaswalv .hasbeen closedand contact with water pre ventfcdmnd thus overcomes the great thepreseiice 'ot' considerable moisture in the damp lime in'clcisi n'gthecarbid, which in time generates gas by decomposing the carbid when rd-gas is b ng'con'sumed and when no In 'case a. safety-valve is loweramusin ill results, WYithlmy inveng tiori-Ltliisis-o'hi iatedisince' thedamp lime is dissolvedby the'glucoseand leaves the car- In this "mannerthe i bnnmta ero" age'of the carbid-holder and antoiii minates itselffrom the re-v a g qu il saw n Shi m r jylene-generating machines 7 thesame are runat intervals.

- Gar-bid treated intlieman'ner and lamps," where herein set out alcium.i The petroleum v carbid doesnot prevent Jbut largely; preventsnseqnently aside from as anifmpoitar'itfunctionin acetso that thegeneration of such gas is more uni form] y produced and sudden variationin flame, constant candle power, and more-univ I ,c l l torrh pressure?be understood that, if desired, the;

in g'those-f nd for sec l i gthes'e resultswould be within the spiritoftn'y invention.

In this application '1 "(id not-g latin the from the' carbidprepared asherein set forth, as that forms'the subject-matterof mygdi- Marchlll,1900.

'by Letters Patent, isv a l. As a new' article of manufacture a preparedcarbidjof calcium consisting of ca'rbid.

posed'ofglucose'orits equivalen't'capable of l. l. I dissolving, orliquefying the lime when pro- 'When'calcic carbid is treated inthisman-' duced from the decomposition of the carbid.

1 pared cal-bid of fcalciumlconsisting oicarbid of calcium jhaving aprotective coating come lent and an inert powder such'as carbonate thelime when produced, from thedecolnposition of the carbid. r

of calcium having a protective coating comtvhen produced from thedecomposition-of the carbidzi l i A 4:. As a new article of manufactureaprepared carbid of calciunzconsistlnguof carbid petroleum or P ssusobviated.. This in small lamps is a great ad vantage, since itsecu resa more steady known prior to my invention. JHefn'cc l donot. conhn emyself to the special means of securs'herein set out, asany means.

method or process of generating acetyle'negas.

visional application, Serial No. 9,179,", filed What I claim as new, anddesire to secure of calcium having a protectisiecoatin'g com-' -2. As anew article, of manutactureapreposed of amixture of, glucose or itscqniva of lime" capable of dissolving r liqnefying 3. As a new'articleof manufacture apre, pared carbid of calcium consisting of carbid lposed of a mifiture of glucose or its equivalent; 1 and petroleum oritsequivalent capable one tar-ding the action ofmoisture and dissolving,

' v or liquefyling the lime of calcium having a, protective coatingcomposed of a mixture of glucose or its equivalent,

' its equivalent'andan inert powdersuch ascarbonate of lime capable of-re tarding the action of moisture, andldissolvin g the decompositionvof the carbide 1 particles or powder ,of-carbid of calcium, and

' or-liquefyingv-the lime when produced from le,

- :20 5- A a t l of m n f e a P ep r carbid of calcium consisting ofsmall pieces,

asnbstance such asfgl ucose which in the presed togetherto formopegmass.

6." As an article of manufacture arbi'd'of ca cium consisting of smallpieces, particles orzpowder vof carbid of calcium, a

substance suchgluce sfel which in "the presence of moisture is'fa'solventfor lime-cement! aprepared I ence of moisture is 'a solvent forli-me and a bindercemented together to' form one mass.-

f 7. As an article of manufacture a prepared carbid of calciumconsisting of smallpieces,

particles er powder of carbid of calcium, a substance such as glucose 8.As a new article of manufacture a cal-bid ofcalciumconsisting of amixture of an ex cessof carbid pilea lcigm with a. substance which isnsolvent for lime in the presence of 0f calcium consisting of a mixturemoisture, and a substance more or l ess'imper'- vion'stom'oi'stur'e.

cess ofivcarbid of calcium,with asubstance which is'a: solvent for limein the presence of. moisture, a substancemore or less 11nper-" vious tomoisture, and an inert binder. In testimony oflwhi'ch inventionIhere-unto 'set my hand.

= Witnesses: a 3 JED ARD' P. MACLEAN,

.FINLEY P. MCGUIRE;

9, Ass new article of manufactu re'a carbid of an ex- MARCPIERRE-EMMANUEL LETANG'.

